Registration process and apparatus



y 1946. J. A. BALL 2,399,975

REGISTRATION PROCESSES AND APPARATUS Filed March 15, 1943 Patented May7, 1946 REGISTRATION PROCESS AND APPARATUS Joseph Arthur Ball, LosAngeles, Calif., assignor to Max McGraw, doing business as McGrawColorgraph Company, Burbank, Calif.

Application March 15, 1943, Serial No. 479,211

6 Claims. (01. 33-1845) The present invention relates to a registrationprocess and apparatus for carrying out the process. More particularly,the present invention is directed to a method for registering separatesheets having images thereon, or other elements of a sheet-like natureused in color printing or similar processes. The invention also includesapparatus useful in practicing the process.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanicalregistration process which insures a minimum of noticeable lack ofregistry in a finally produced print even though the separate elementsassembled. to produce the print have expanded, shrunk, or otherwisechanged dimensions differentially.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a novelmechanical registration method which insures the proper location of thecentral portion of a positive or negative picture area regardless ofdifferential shrinkage or expansion of the picture prior toregistration.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novelarrangement for registering a set of color separation or other relatednegatives relative to each other and relative to positive printsproduced from these negatives.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrated inthe accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, in which similar characters of reference refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 may be considered as a plan view of a photographic negativeincorporating a feature of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a negative carrier or similar objectincorporating the present invention adapted for use with the negativeshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the negative illustrated in Fig. 1 registeredupon the negative carrier of Fig.

4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the effect upon registrationwhich occurs if the negative shown in Figs. 1 and 3 shrinks; and

Fig. 5 may be considered as a sectional view through a portion of a packof assembled films such as are used in forming color separationnegatives by the so-called tri-pack process.

In practicing many types of photographic processes, particularly colorprocesses, it is necessary to register several images in producing thefinal product. One way to accomplish this is to disregard any attempt atregistration throughout the process until arriving at the step whereseveral color images are superposed to produce the final print ortransparency. If such a scheme is used, the act of registering the finalimages requires considerable skill in order to produce a satisfactoryresult. Another expedient is to use some mechanical means forregistering the color separation negatives relative to each other at thetime of printing and then use a similar mechanical registration schemeto insure proper registration of the subsequently produced positiveelementsat the time the color images are applied to the print surface.It is appreciated, however, that other color processes are now in usewhich accomplish registration by mechanical means at some point in theprocess, and the present inven-, tion is intended for use with any suchprocesses.

As a specific example of one way in which the present process may beused to advantage, the invention will be described in connection withthe registration of a set of color separation negatives at the time ofprinting, so that the images printed from these negatives will beidentically located upon a set of positive prints.

In the past, in carrying out certain types of color processes, sets ofcolor separation negatives have been registered and punched with holeslocated at their margins, these holesbeing located over pins at the timeof printing with a view toward holding these negatives in identicalrelationship in a negative carrier. All such mechanical registrationarrangements with which I am familiar are deficient in that they permita considerable shift of the picture area if any shrinkage or expansiontakes place in the negatives subsequent to the time they are originallyregistered and punched. For instance; if a set of three color separationnegatives are registered and punched in any prior known manner and thenat a later date it is decided to prepare prints from these negatives,shrinkage or expansion of one or more of the negatives in the meanwhilewill result in considerable lack of registration of the final images.

The present invention is an improvement over these prior usedregistration processes, principally in that difierential shrinkage orexpansion of the negatives will result in much less displacement of theimages at the time of print ing, and further that whatever displacementdoes take place, will occur in a portion' of the picture area where itwill be less objectionable. By the use of the present method, shrinkageor expansion which occurs in the negatives will not affect registrationof the center of the picture area, the lack of registry caused by suchshrinkage or expansion, if it becomes apparent at all, will appear onlytoward the edges and corners of the picture area where important pictureelements are seldom encountered.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a photographic negative, indicated generally bythe numeral l0. which may be considered as one of a set of colorseparation negatives.

In Fig. 2, I have shown a negative carrier l2 relative to which it isdesired to register the negative III at the time of printing in suchmanner that if all of the negatives of the set are similarly registered,the several images produced by printing through these negatives will bein register. To accomplish this purpose, I have provided the top marginof the negative with a registering aperture [4, located along thevertically extending center line throughthe picture area [8. Theaperture I4 is generally rectangular with its ends rounded to inhibittearing of the film stock. It is considerably longer than wide and hasits longer dimension positioned vertically. A similar aperture issimilarly located and oriented along the vertical center line IS in thelower margin of the negative, while a third similar aperture 22 islocated along one of the side margin of the negative in alignment withthe horizontal center line 24 with its longer dimension positionedhorizontally.

The registration openings I4, 20 and 22 may be punched in any suitablemanner. As an example, a master sheet, similar to the sheet ill, butpreferably formed in metal and having the registration openings therein,is placed over one of the negatives and a hand punch is used forpunching the openings I4, 20 and 22, the openings in the master sheetbeing used as guides. After this has been accomplished, the punchednegative can be placed over another of the negatives in the colorseparation set and the two shifted about until they are in register,after which the hand punch is used for forming the openings I4, 20 and22 in the second negative, using the first negative as a guide informing the punched openings. If the color separation set comprisesthree or four negatives, the remaining negatives are registered relativeto the first negative and are punched in the same manner as used inpunching the second negative. Another expedient is to arrange the colorseparation negatives in register, one on top of the other, and punch allof the negatives at one time in a multiple punching device of anysuitable type. In any event, preferably all of the negatives in a setshould be punched soon after development, before shrinkage or expansionhas taken place.

Still another arrangement is shown in Fig. 5. In this figure threenegatives, indicated by the numerals 26, 28 and 30, are illustrated asgrouped together to form what is known as a tri-pack. In the tri-packprocess for forming color separation negatives, three films are arrangedin a pack and this pack is inserted in the negative carrier of thecamera so that all three negatives are exposed at the same time. Lightstriking the first of the negatives acts upon a color blind emulsion andforms the blue record, this emulsion being sensitive to blue light only.The light then passes through a filter layer which takes out anyremaining blue light and into a second emulsion located upon the secondfilm. This second emulsion is of the orthochromatic type, that is, it issensitive to blue and green light only. Since the blue light has beenremoved,

this second film I in a machine before assembly to form the pack.'

forms the green record. The remaining light passes through a red filterinto a panchromatic emulsion located upon the third film. Thepanchromatic emulsion therefore forms the red record. In adapting thepresent invention to use with such a tripack, the films can be punchedAfter assembly, the several films can be held in proper relationship bymeans of soft rivets 32 formed of plastic material or soft metal, theserivets extending through the aligned apertures I4, 20 and 22 in theseveral negatives. The rivets should fit the apertures closely from sideto side, but need not fit these apertures from end to end. All of theregistration openings in the several negatives, therefore, are in properrelationship relative to each other at the time the exposure is made.After exposure, the heads of the rivets can be clipped oil with a knifeand the rivets removed to permit separation of the negatives fordevelopment and future use.

The negative carrier l2 comprises a frame 34 of any suitable typeadapted to be held rigidly in place in a projection machine at the timeof printing. This frame has a central rectangular opening 36 slightlysmaller than the negative picture area, the opening being normallycovered with a glass sheet, at least in the larger negative sizes.Centrally located relative to the opening 36, the frame 34 is providedalong its top edge with a generally rectangular pin 38 of such widththat it closely fits the film aperture 14 from side to side so as toprevent side to side movement of the negative relative thereto. The pinis somewhat shorter than the opening i 4, however, thereby permittingvertical sliding movement of the negative. A similar pin 40 is locatedat the lower edge of the frame [2 and is adapted closely to fit theopening 20 from side to side, but to permit up and down movement of thenegative. A third similar pin 42 is located along a side edge of theframe 34 and fits the opening 22 across its narrowest dimension. It,like the pins 38 and 40 however, is shorter than the longer dimension ofthe opening 22.

Now if the openings I4 and 20 are placed over the pins 38 and 40, thepins will prevent side to side movement of both the upper and lowernegative margins. The negative, therefore, cannot rotate and cannot movefrom side to side. It can, however, move upwardly and downwardlyrelative to the negative carrier, since both of the pins 38 and 40 areshorter than the slots l4 and 20. If, in addition, the third opening 22is placed over the pin 42, upward and downward movement of the negativeis prevented. The use of all three of these pins, therefore, preventsmovement of the negative in any linear direction in the plane of thesupport, and also prevents rotation of the negative. The negativetherefore can lie in only one osition upon the negative carrier.

In Fig. 4, I have shown what takes place if the negative shrinkssubsequent to the time the registration openings 14, 20 and 22 have beenpunched. With the pins and openings arranged as previously described, itwill be seen that the pins 38 and 40 prevent side to side movement ofthe vertical center line I6. Similarly, the pin 42 prevents upward ordownward movement of the horizontal center line 24. Thus these centerlines cannot move from the positions shown in Fig. 3. The central pointX at which the vertical and horizontal center lines cross thereforecannot move from its original position. The center of the picture area,therefore, will always be registered, regardless of shinkage orexpansion of the aim. Further, a will be seen that i: the total mannerthat the center line 24 will lie in its origlnal position, while theupper opening ll will move downwardly a distance equal to one-half A,while the lower opening 20 moves upwardly a similar distance, that isone-half A. Therefore, for any total amount of vertical shrinkage orexpansion of the negative, this shrinkage or expansion will be sodistributed that the central portion of the picture area remains in thesame location and no portion of the picture area will move more thanone-half the total amount of the shrinkage. Similarly, side to sideshrinkage will take place toward the vertical center line I5, thus thetotal amount of side to side shrinkage or expansion will be sodistributed that the maximum movement of the side edges or the picturearea will be one-half of the total amount of the shrinkage across thepicture area.

By the use of the present method of registering photographic negativesor other photographic elements, it will be seen that the normally mostimportant portion of the picture area, that is, the central portion,will remain little changed, while the greatest lack of register willtake place at the side edges and corners of the picture, this latterportion of the picture'normally comprising principally background and inmost pictures being of little interest. Further, it is apparent thatbefore lack of registry anywhere in the picture area can become apparentto the eye, the actual shift across the picture area caused by shrinkageor expansion must be twice the resolving power of the eye.

Although the present process has been described as used for registeringcolor separation negatives in a negative carrier, it is apparent thatthe registration method is of universal application and can be used toadvantage wherever it is desired to register fiat sheets, particularlyif these flat sheets are subject to expansion or contraction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of registering a fiat sheet so as to register a portionthereof relative to a frame, which comprises providing the sheet withgenerally rectangular openings in three of the margins, said openingsbeing spaced directly outwardly from the center of the portion to beregistered, providing a registering frame having pins to fit into saidopenings, each of said pins individually being of such size and shape asto permit movement of the adjacent side of the portion to be registeredtoward and away from said pin, but to prevent movement of said sheet atright angles to the aforesaid direction and placing said openings oversaid pins.

2. The method of registering a sheet-like ele:- ment, which comprisesproviding the sheet-like element with a generally rectangular apertureadjacent to each of three of the margins of said sheet, said aperturesbeing spaced approximately 90 apart with reference to the center of theportion of the sheet it is desired to register, said rectangularapertures being longer than wide and having their longer dimensionsplaced along center lines passing through the portion it is intended toregister, providing a registering frame,

said irame havingthree pins adapted to fit into said apertures, saidpins fitting said apertures substantially fully across the narrowerdimensions of said apertures and comparatively loo'sely in the directionof the longer dimension of said apertures, and placing said aperturesover said pins.

3'. A device for registering sheet-like elemei its, each' sheet-likeelement having elongate apertures located in three of its margins withthe longer dimensions of said apertures along ce ter lines passingthrough the center of the portion of the sheet-like element it isdesired to regis er, comprising a substantially rigid support for saidsheet-like element, said support having three projections so disposed asto fit into the apertures in said sheet-like elements when the sheetlikeelements are placed over said support, said projections havingdimensions parallel to the plane of said support such that they fit theapertures substantially fully from side to side while fitting saidapertures comparatively loosely from end to end.

4. A sheet-likeelement adapted to be registered relative to asupport,'said support having three pins located substantially 90 apartrelative to a central portion of said support, said sheet-like elementbeing provided at three of its margins with apertures so located as to"fit over'said pins when said sheet-like element is placed upon saidsupport in a certain position, said apertures having dimensions suchthat they fit said pins coniparatively loosely along a'line which ifprojected.

passes substantially through the center of the portion it is desired toregister, and said apertures fitting said pins closely along a dimensionat right angles to the last said dimension.

5. In a registering device, the temporary coinbination comprised of asheet-like element having an area to be registered and having apertureslocated adjacent three of.the margins of said sheet, each of saidapertures having parallel side edges that are parallel and closelyadjacent to respective center lines extending outwardly from the centralportion of the area to be registered, said center lines being angularlyspaced by substantially 90, and a supporting sin-fate having pinsprojecting through the apertures in said sheet, said pins fitting saidapertures closely across the parallel edges and loosely at right anglesthereto.

6. The method of registering a sheet-like ement relative to a support,which comprises forming apertures along at least three of the marins ofsaid sheet-like element, each of said apertures being arranged along acenter line p ing through the center or the portion of the sheet to beregistered, said center lines being arranged substantially 90 apart,each of said apertures having parallel side edges along at least aportion of its length, said-parallel side edges being parallel to saidcenter lines, providing said support with pins adapted to fit saidapertures closely from side to side, and loosely in a lengthwisedirection, and registering said sheet relative to said support byplacing said sheet upon said sup- JOSEPH AR'I'HUR BALL

